Drinking glass for containing wine and for optimizing air mixed into the wine during swirling to enhance bouquet

ABSTRACT

A drinking glass for containing wine and for optimizing air mixed into the wine during swirling to enhance bouquet of the wine. In an embodiment, the drinking glass includes a bowl that contains a physical obstacle to the wine during the swirling, which optimizes the air mixed into the wine. In another embodiment, the drinking glass further includes a stem that depends from the bowl, terminates in a base, and facilitates the swirling and observations thereof by not having the bowl visually obstructed during the swirling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a drinking glass for containing wine, and more particularly to a drinking glass for optimizing air mixed into the wine during swirling to enhance bouquet.

2. Description of the Prior Art:

Swirling, the act of making subtle circular motions with a glass of wine, exposes the wine to more oxygen so as to allow the more oxygen to get into the wine oxygenating the wine. Swirling aerates the wine and gives it a better smell by releasing volatile chemicals, i.e., esters, ethers, and aldehydes, that combine with the oxygen to yield the bouquet of the wine and which smooths taste of the wine.

Swirling wine is a key feature when smelling and tasting wine. Swirling and twirling allows air to soften the wine and increases surface area of the wine by allowing it to move up the sides of the glass. Swirling the wine aids in a sniffing process, like decanting, it exposes the wine to air, which increases intensity of the aroma and softens tannins.

There are more than 500 aromatics in wine alone. Although no one can detect them all, swirling greatly increases the number of smells detectable. Swirling pushes the flavor aromas to interact with the air n the glass. Swirling helps circulate the wine so that its aromas spread and are absorbed into the air in and around the glass, which benefits the next most important step of the tasting, the actual smelling of flavors and aromas that the wine embodies.

To get technical about tasting, stemware can be chosen based on varietal. For example, a burgundy glass for Pinot Noir and a Bordeaux glass for Cabernet and Bordeaux blends.

To swirl wine it is suggested to fill the wine glass no more than ½ full, then firmly hold the stem of the wine glass, and gently swirl the wine in the bowl for 10-20 seconds. The glass should be held parallel to the ground and only the wrist should be used to make subtle, circular motions.

Under some circumstances, swirling the wine doesn't merely increase its aromas but may actually yield different scents not found in unswirled wine. This may seem strange, but the explanation is simple enough. Fine wines offer a variety of scents, including aromas that come from natural fruit in wine, scents that stem from a wine maker's hand, such as the use of oak barrels or yeasts that impart recognizable smells, and the so-called “bouquet,” elusive characteristics that develop with age in the bottle. Some of these elements are more volatile than others, and those are aromas that gain impact when the wine is swirled. By taking a sniff before swirling, then checking again after giving the glass a spin, one is offered a deeper insight to analyzing the wine.

Swirling also has another purpose. It let's one assess color and body of the wine. This is an important indicator of age, varietal, and wine making style. For example, if one is swirling a white wine and notices it to be a little green around the edges, it indicates youth. On the other hand, it can also mean it is a certain varietal. Only sniffing will help one know what the answer is. A thicker body may determine higher alcohol content or even greater sweetness before the wine is tasted.

After swirling a little wine in a glass, the pattern of the streaks of wine that run down inside the glass are called “wine legs.” The pattern of wine legs is particular to the variety and the quality of the wine. Heavy wines have thinner wine legs, lighter wines leave wide “sheets” of liquid.

One can see that the effects of swirling is an important part of wine enjoyment. Thus, it would be advantageous to have a wine glass that optimizes the air mixed into the wine during the swirling to enhance the bouquet of the wine.

Numerous innovations for wine glasses have been provided in the prior art. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes which they address, they each differ in structure and/or operation and/or purpose from the present invention, in that they do not teach a drinking glass for containing wine and for optimizing air mixed into the wine during swirling to enhance bouquet of the wine, and therefore would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

ACCORDINGLY, AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a drinking glass for containing wine and for optimizing air mixed into the wine during swirling to enhance bouquet of the wine that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.

In one embodiment, the drinking glass includes a bowl that contains a physical obstacle to the wine during the swirling, which optimizes the air mixed into the wine to enhance the bouquet of the wine. In another embodiment, the drinking glass further includes a stem that depends from the bowl, terminates in a base, and facilitates the swirling and observations therefrom by not having the bowl visually obstructed during the swirling.

The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in claims appended hereto. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the drawing accompanying the specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The figures of the drawing are briefly described as follows:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an embodiment of the drinking glass of the present invention containing wine and optimizing air mixed into the wine during swirling to enhance bouquet of the wine;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic front elevational view of the drinking glass of the present invention per se shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic right side elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic left side elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic back elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 5 in FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic top plan view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 6 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic bottom plan view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 7 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view of another embodiment of the drinking glass of the present invention containing wine and optimizing air mixed into the wine during swirling to greatly enhance bouquet of the wine;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic front elevational view of the drinking glass of the present invention per se shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic right side elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 10 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic left side elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 11 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic back elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 12 in FIGS. 10 and 11;

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic top plan view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 13 in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic bottom plan view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 14 in FIG. 9.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE DRAWING An Embodiment

-   20 drinking glass of present invention for containing wine 22 and     for optimizing air mixed into wine 22 during swirling to greatly     enhance bouquet of wine 22 -   22 wine -   24 bowl -   26 lower half of bowl 24 -   28 outer surface of bowl 24 -   30 inner surface of bowl 24 -   32 physical obstacle in bowl 24 -   34 indent in bowl 24 -   36 concave surface of outer surface 28 of bowl 24 at indent 34 in     bowl 24 -   38 convex surface of inner surface 30 of bowl 24 at indent 34 in the     24

Another Embodiment

-   120 drinking glass -   124 bowl -   136 stem for facilitating swirling and observations therefrom by     having bowl 124 not visually obstructed during swirling -   138 base

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to FIG. 1, which is a diagrammatic perspective view of an embodiment of the drinking glass of the present invention containing wine and optimizing air mixed into the wine during swirling to enhance bouquet of the wine, an embodiment of the drinking glass of the present invention is shown generally at 20 for containing wine 22 and for optimizing air mixed into the wine 22 during swirling.

The configuration of the drinking glass 20 can best be seen in FIGS. 2-7, which are, respectively, a diagrammatic front elevational view of the drinking glass of the present invention per se shown in FIG. 1, a diagrammatic right side elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 3 in FIG. 2, a diagrammatic left side elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 4 in FIG. 2, a diagrammatic back elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 5 in FIGS. 3 and 4, a diagrammatic top plan view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 6 in FIG. 2, and, a diagrammatic bottom plan view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 7 in FIG. 2, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

The drinking glass 20 comprises a bowl 24 with a lower half 26, an outer surface 28, and an inner surface 30. The bowl 24 has therein a physical obstacle 32 to the wine 22 during the swirling of the wine 22.

The physical obstacle 32 of the bowl 24 is the bowl 24 being indented so as to form an indent 34 therein. The indent 34 provides a concave surface 36 of the outer surface 28 of the bowl 24 at the indent 34 a convex surface 38 of the inner surface 30 of the bowl 24 at the indent 34 so as to eliminate need for providing extra glass material on the inner surface 30 of the bowl 24 to form the physical obstacle 32 of the bowl 24.

The indent 34 in the bowl 24 is inwardly extending, and preferably substantially linear, preferably curved, preferably skewly-oriented more vertical than horizontal, and preferably disposed in the lower half 26 of the bowl 24.

Another embodiment of the drinking glass 120 can best be seen in FIGS. 8-14, which are, respectively, a diagrammatic perspective view of another embodiment of the drinking glass of the present invention containing wine and optimizing air mixed into the wine during swirling to enhance bouquet of the wine, a diagrammatic front elevational view of the drinking glass of the present invention per se shown in FIG. 8, a diagrammatic right side elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 10 in FIG. 9, a diagrammatic left side elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 11 in FIG. 9, a diagrammatic back elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 12 in FIGS. 10 and 11, a diagrammatic top plan view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 13 in FIG. 9, and, a diagrammatic bottom plan view taken generally in the direction of ARROW 14 in FIG. 9, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

The drinking glass 120 is similar to the drinking glass 20, but with the addition of a stem 136 the bowl 124, terminating in a base 138, and for facilitating the swirling and observations therefrom by not having the bowl 124 visually obstructed during the swirling.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a drinking glass for containing wine and for optimizing air mixed into the wine during swirling to enhance bouquet of the wine, it is not limited to the details shown, because it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions, and changes in the forms and details of the drinking glasses illustrated and their operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that from the standpoint of prior art fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of the invention. 

1. A drinking glass for containing wine and for optimizing air mixed into the wine during swirling to enhance bouquet of the wine, comprising: a bowl; wherein said bowl has therein a physical obstacle to the wine during the swirling, which optimizes the air mixed into the wine.
 2. The glass as defined in claim 1, wherein said physical obstacle of said bowl is said bowl being indented so as to form an indent therein.
 3. The glass as defined in claim 2, wherein said bowl has an outer surface; wherein said bowl has an inner surface; and wherein said indent in said bowl provides a concave surface of said outer surface of said bowl at said indent in said bowl and a convex surface of said inner surface of said bowl at said indent in said bowl so as to eliminate need for providing extra glass material on said inner surface of said bowl to form said physical obstacle of said bowl.
 4. The glass as defined in claim 2, wherein said indent in said bowl is substantially linear.
 5. The glass as defined in claim 2, wherein said indent in said bowl is inwardly extending.
 6. The glass as defined in claim 2, wherein said indent in said bowl is curved.
 7. The glass as defined in claim 2, wherein said indent in said bowl is skewly-oriented more vertical than horizontal.
 8. The glass as defined in claim 2, wherein said bowl has a lower half; and wherein said indent in said bowl is disposed in said lower half of said bowl.
 9. The glass as defined in claim 1, further comprising a stem; wherein said stem depends from said bowl; wherein said stem terminates in a base; and wherein said stem is for facilitating the swirling and observations thereof by not having said bowl visually obstructed during the swirling.
 10. The glass as defined in claim 2, further comprising a stem; wherein said stem depends from said bowl; wherein said stem terminates in a base; and wherein said stem is for facilitating the swirling and observations thereof by not having said bowl visually obstructed during the swirling.
 11. The glass as defined in claim 3, further comprising a stem; wherein said stem depends from said bowl; wherein said stem terminates in a base; and wherein said stem is for facilitating the swirling and observations thereof by not having said bowl visually obstructed during the swirling.
 12. The glass as defined in claim 4, further comprising a stem; wherein said stem depends from said bowl; wherein said stem terminates in a base; and wherein said stem is for facilitating the swirling and observations thereof by not having said bowl visually obstructed during the swirling.
 13. The glass as defined in claim 5, further comprising a stem; wherein said stem depends from said bowl; wherein said stem terminates in a base; and wherein said stem is for facilitating the swirling and observations thereof by not having said bowl visually obstructed during the swirling.
 14. The glass as defined in claim 6, further comprising a stem; wherein said stem depends from said bowl; wherein said stem terminates in a base; and wherein said stem is for facilitating the swirling and observations thereof by not having said bowl visually obstructed during the swirling.
 15. The glass as defined in claim 7, further comprising a stem; wherein said stem depends from said bowl; wherein said stem terminates in a base; and wherein said stem is for facilitating the swirling and observations thereof by not having said bowl visually obstructed during the swirling.
 16. The glass as defined in claim 8, further comprising a stem; wherein said stem depends from said bowl; wherein said stem terminates in a base; and wherein said stem is for facilitating the swirling and observations thereof by not having said bowl visually obstructed during the swirling. 